For Every Market, a Submarket Grows
by Jane Krahe
Summary: Shilo walked away from the Opera House, away from the Largos, and away from her old life. But what happened then? Please review! Hard M. NEW CHAPTER!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Repo!, nor any of it's characters. I'm just getting them dirty.

For Every Market a Submarket Grows

The opera house was booming. Cheers and screams poured from it's open doors. There was stamping and applauding, whistling and whooping. Hundreds of voices called, "Brava!" Outside, thousands stood, crowded around the entrance, straining for a glace at what was causing the uproar.

And a little girl, covered in blood and wearing her dead mother's dress, walked away from it all, unnoticed.

Shilo tried to breath, but there was nothing there. No lungs, no heart. She was empty. She saw nothing. Affixed in her mind's eyes was but one image - a dead man, in a pool of blood, only some of it his, his eyes cool, fixed, and complete. Shilo's feet, clad in her mother's boots, were taking her somewhere, and she trusted them. She knew wherever they led her, it would be better than the atrocity at her back.

Shilo felt a thought well up in her, and it was almost a relief. A blank mind is hard to bear.

* I'm an orphan. *

Her parents were both dead. And she, Shilo, was merely seventeen, and completely alone in the world. There would never again be anyone she could rely on, someone she could look to for help. Alone.

"Quite a stir you caused, kid."

A familiar voice wrenched Shilo from that dark, empty place in her mind. She blinked, seeing, for the first time since she left the Opera, her surroundings. She knew this alley. That day that she'd gotten into Rotti's limo, the day at the fair, when Graverobber - that's it. This was the alley where Graverobber had shown her what he did for a living. The alley where she'd first seen Amber Sweet. The alley where she'd learned of Mag's fate. It all seemed so long ago.

And there he was. Graverobber sat atop a closed dumpster, head tilted back against the brick wall behind him. He was watching her in that appraising way he had. She remembered, then, that he'd spoken to her. "Um," she began, and her voice cracked.

Graverobber waved a hand dismissively. "I'm not asking for a replay, kid," he said. "Everyone on the island heard it."

Shilo couldn't think of what to say. So, she said nothing. Instead she hopped up onto the dumpster next to him, leaning back against the wall. There was an odd sort of comfort she gleaned from his presence. He wasn't from GeneCo. He wasn't a Repo Man. He wasn't a Largo. He was just… Graverobber. He had nothing to do with anything that had just happened to her. He was just a drug dealer. And, considering the events at hand, Shilo found that incredibly reassuring.

Shilo sat in utter silence, listening as the noise from the Opera wound down. She wanted everyone to just go home, to forget the Genetic Opera and all that had transpired there. She wanted nothing more than to sink into the brick behind her, and never come out.

She had no idea how long she sat there on that dumpster. The sound faded away completely, and eventually, the world went back to normal. The sun set, what little of it they could see through the smog, and darkness fell around her. The alley slowly started to fill with people. Shilo dragged herself from the depths once more to observe the change in her surroundings. Graverobber still sat next to her, and people were lined up in front of him. It took Shilo a moment to realize what was going on.

Graverobber was selling Zydrate.

"A vial, Graverobber, that's all I need, just one vial, please?" A small woman with dirty hair and a fresh surgery scar across her chest knelt in front of the dumpster.

Graverobber said nothing. He smiled and held out his hand.

The woman shook her head. "I have no money."

Graverobber glanced around above her head. "Next?" he said.

"Wait!" The woman grabbed onto his pants. "Can't we work something out?"

Graverobber watched with a slightly annoyed look as the woman's hand slid up the leg of his trousers, in a poor attempt at seduction. Graverobber gripped her by the wrist and tossed her aside. The woman landed on the concrete and dissolved into tears. "Next?" Graverobber said, ignoring her.

A man stepped up, shirtless and covered in scars. This one had money. Shilo wondered for a moment what the addict would have done if he *hadn't* had any money. She imagined him trying something similar to what the woman had pulled. Shilo laughed.

Graverobber stopped mid-sentence, looking at her. "Welcome back," he said. He smiled slightly, then went back to his current business deal.

Back from where? Shilo shook her head. There was something unnerving about this Graverobber. Why was he always so damned omniscient?

After awhile, the addicts crawling through the alley dissipated, leaving Shilo and Graverobber alone once more. Shilo took a deep breath and released it, slowly, feeling some of her previous coldness ebb away. She could feel Graverobber watching her. She turned to look at him. He looked amused. And for some reason, that annoyed her. "What the hell's so funny?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You've been sitting here for four hours, and I just realized you're covered in blood."

Shilo looked down at herself. He was right. Congealed blood was all over her, across her back and down her arms, and in her wig. She could even feel some on her face. She said the first thing that came to her mind. "Gross."

Graverobber laughed, then hopped off the dumpster. "Come on, kid," he said, holding his hand out to her.

"'Come on', where?" she asked, suspicious.

"So, am I to take it you *want* to be covered in blood?" Graverobber said.

"What? Oh, God no." Shilo replied. "But, what are you going to do about it?"

Graverobber shrugged. "I *was* going to offer you a shower, but if you don't want it - "

"No, I do," Shilo interrupted him. She took his hand, then, and let him pull her off the dumpster. Her heel caught on side of the dumpster, and she stumbled. Graverobber caught her, holding her up with a strong arm around her waist.

"You should ease up on the Z, kid, it's making you clumsy," he said.

"I'm not on Zydrate!" Shilo said, indignant.

Graverobber shrugged. "If you say so, kid."

"I have a name," she said, pouting slightly.

"So do I," Graverobber said. "You're nothing special. Come on." He caught her by the wrist and led her towards a door at the end of the alley. It opened onto a staircase. Shilo stopped just before entering.

"Wait! What is this place?" she asked, suddenly nervous.

"I live here," Graverobber said. "Sometimes." With that, he dragged her up the stairs, not giving her another chance to protest. The stairs led to another door, this one made of rusty metal. Looking around, Shilo thought the place looked like a really old hospital. It made sense. After GeneCo sprung up, it put all other hospitals out of business. Graverobber took a key from a chain around his neck and unlocked the padlock on the door. He turned to Shilo and said, "Don't touch anything."

Shilo raised her hands, palms out, trying to look innocent.

"I mean it, kid. Curiosity killed the pussy, little girl. So don't get curious. Got it?"

Shilo nodded emphatically. God knows what would be in Graverobber's sometimes-apartment, and how dangerous it could be. Something told her there was way more to this man than Zydrate and corpses.

"Okay, kid," Graverobber said, sliding open the door. "Come on in."

She couldn't see anything beyond the door. There was no light in the room. Shilo took a deep breath, and stepped into the darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

Shilo felt her eyes widen in a futile attempt to pierce the blackness. She took several steps forward, wondering if the Graverobber would turn on the light. It occurred to her then that maybe there *were* no lights, and that she'd walked into some horrible trap where Graverobber would slam the door behind her and enact some dreadful torture -

"Fuck!" Shilo hissed as her knee connected painfully with something solid. She heard a low laugh, and the room was suddenly bathed in dim light. She turned, rubbing her knee. Graverobber had his hand on a light switch and was smirking. "It's not funny," she said, knowing she was whining and not caring.

"Yes, it was," he said. Shilo just glared at him. He made a valiant effort to look contrite before saying, "You alright, kid?"

"I'm fine," Shilo mumbled. "And I'm not a kid. And my name's Shilo."

Graverobber took a few steps toward her. "Yeah, I know."

Shilo frowned. Damn his Graverobber omniscience! "Well… what's your name, then?"

He just gave a Gallic shrug, and a vague smile. "Showers on the left."

Shilo looked, and saw a wooden door, hanging half off it's hinges. She carefully swung it open to reveal a filthy, cramped bathroom. The bathtub was cracked and stained, and it's curtain was a torn strip of cloth barely two feet wide. She glanced back at the Graverobber.

He seemed to know what she was thinking. "It's not exactly the Largo Towers," he said. "But the water's fairly clean."

Shilo looked around the bathroom again. Something was missing. "Towels?" she asked, turning back to Graverobber.

He shook his head. "I may be able to find you something to wear, though."

Shilo sighed. "Good enough." She walked in and closed the door behind her. She turned on the hot tap as far as it would go. It sputtered brown water at first, but after a moment it grew clear and she turned on the overhead spray. Just as she was pulling her mother's dress over her head, she heard the Graverobber say, "I'll be right back, kid. Don't touch anything."

Shilo rolled her eyes, muttering, "Yes, sir." She removed her wig, placing it on the back of the toilet, which seemed to be the cleanest place in the room. Stepping into the shower, she gasped as the hot spray hit her sore muscles. She stood under the coursing water for several minutes, just letting the heat wash over her, letting it loosen some of the tension in her body.

After a awhile, she opened her eyes and began to look for soap. She found a small bar of it on the edge of the tub. Getting all the blood off took longer than she'd expected. A great deal of it was caked on. Once that was done, she pulled her wig into the shower, and attempted to remove the blood from the ends. She was mostly successful.

When she was done, she turned the water off and stepped out, only to see a dress lying on the sink. The Graverobber had been in and out without her even realizing it. Damn, sneaky, omniscient Graverobber.

The dress was plain black cotton, no different than the stuff she had at home.

Home.

Shilo couldn't, for the life of her, figure out why she hadn't just gone home. She had a house, a bedroom; somewhere she was safe. Was she really safe here with this grave robbing drug-dealer? Why on earth had her feet led her here?

But she'd trusted those instincts so far, and she felt it best to continue trusting them.

She wasn't sure she wanted to go back to that house, with it's pictures and it ghosts.

Shaking her head, Shilo slipped the dress on. She winced at the unpleasant feel of cotton sticking to wet skin. She took her old dress and wiped at the mirror above the sink. She put the wig on her bare skull, using her reflection to adjust it.

When it looked as good as could be expected, she stepped out of the bathroom. Graverobber was nowhere to be seen. Sitting on a box, however, next to the dirty, ripped mattress on the floor in the corner, was a carton of Chinese food. Shilo's stomach growled painfully as the smell reached her nose. She plopped down on the bed and dug in. It was cheap, greasy mar-far chicken and fried rice, but Shilo couldn't remember when she'd last eaten. It could've been liver and onions for all she cared.

It didn't take her long to eat through most of the food. Setting the box of rice aside, she felt a wave of dizziness pass over her. It felt like she was about to pass out, like she used to when she missed her medicine. She gripped the edges of the old mattress and took deep, steadying breaths, trying not to succumb. It made sense that her symptoms wouldn't go away immediately, but even knowing that, Shilo still hated the idea of passing out in a strange place, on a strange man's bed.

But there was nothing for it. Blackness swan across her vision, and she swooned, falling back on the bare pillow.

*************

"Wake up."

Shilo turned over in her sleep. Why did she have to wake up? Was it time for her medicine already?

"Kid, wake up."

Shilo felt a hand on her shoulder, and it was so unfamiliar that she awoke instantly. Sitting next to her was the Graverobber. She knew immediately why the hand felt so unfamiliar. His skin was cold as ice. The only other person who'd ever touched her was her father, and his hands were warm, always. Her eyes focused on the pale face above her. He didn't look happy. Shilo struggled to sit up. "What?" she asked.

"You can't stay here," Graverobber said. "I've got a business to run, kid. Besides, that's *my* bed. And I don't usually let virginal little girls into my bed."

Shilo felt herself blush hotly. "Fine, I'll go." She tried to stand, but his hand on her shoulder stopped her. "What?" she snapped. "I thought you wanted me to leave?"

"Are you sure you're not on Zydrate?" he asked, peering into her eyes. "It looks like you're coming down."

Shilo sighed. "Look, my father was poisoning me to keep me at home, okay?!" The words stung more than she'd expected, and tears welled up into her eyes. She bit her bottom lip, trying not to cry. His eyes flicked down to her mouth, then back up. She took a deep breath, then continued, "I'm still getting all the poison out of my system."

"You're a Zydrate addict," Graverobber said.

"Am not!" Shilo said. "Look!" She pulled her wig off. "See? Zydrate addicts don't lose their hair."

"Sure they do," Graverobber said, "when the Zydrate is mixed with Cocillin."

"What's that?" Shilo asked.

"It's a depilatory," he replied, "that's given to swimmers to make them more streamlined. But it has a few unpleasant side-effects, so it's usually mixed with Zydrate. That's probably what he was giving you." He spoke so confidently, so matter-of-factly that it somehow made Shilo more suspicious.

"How do you know this stuff?" she asked.

Graverobber just looked at her. His even gaze was disconcerting; it reminded her of the wolves she'd seen on the History Channel. After a moment, he sighed, and said, "You should… probably stay here. Just until the drug works it's way out of your system." He stood.

"How long is that?" Shilo asked. She had a sudden urge to run away; something about those abyssal eyes of his had unnerved her.

Graverobber shrugged. "A few days. But *you* sleep on the floor."

Shilo crossed her arms over her chest and stuck out her bottom lip, pouting. She saw Graverobber's eyes dart to her mouth again. This time, they stayed there. After a moment he bit his lip. Then, he shook his head, and glared at her. "Fine, keep the bed. Just don't touch anything. The sun's coming up soon. Time for all good little grave robber's to get some sleep."

Shilo laid back onto the mattress. She watched as Graverobber laid a blanket and pillow on the floor, then took off his coat, tossed it on the chair, and turned off the lights.

Shilo gasped slightly as the room was plunged into black. Graverobber's voice came to her through the darkness, and something about his tone made her shiver. "Sleep tight, kid."

*************

Amber Sweet sat at her dead father's desk, surveying her new kingdom. The old man had dropped, and in her opinion it couldn't have come fast enough. SHE was head of GeneCo now, and she had a few plans to set in motion. But first… "Ms. Sweet?" came a voice from the intercom on the desk. "Mr.'s Largo are here to see you."

"Send them in," Amber replied, smiling. Her brothers walked in a moment later, arguing.

"Pavi, that's the stupidest fucking thing I've ever heard you say!" Luigi shouted. "You CANNOT have our father's face for your collection!"

"But-a it would look-a so nice next to-a Mother's," Pavi replied. He was missing his mirror; his arms were crossed over his chest. Amber could tell he was still upset over Rotti's death. He was always the most sentimental of them.

"That's different!" Luigi said. "Mother was beautiful!"

"Stop it, both of you," Amber said. Both men froze and turned to their sister. The only other person in the world with that deadly tone of voice was their father. It was one of the things she'd inherited from him. "Pavi, you can have Father's face," she said. Pavi smiled and lowered his head. Luigi opened his mouth to protest, but Amber held up a hand. "Luigi, *you* can have Father's knife collection."

Luigi's face drew into a pout. "Really?" he asked, on the verge of tears. Amber nodded. Luigi's face broke into a huge grin as he turned to his brother. "What now, bitch?!" he laughed.

"And I have jobs for both of you," Amber continued.

"Awww," the brothers said in unison. "The Pavi does not *work*," Pavi said.

"What's the point of working?" Luigi put in. "We're already rich."

"That is-a good logic, my brother," Pavi said.

"Thank you." Luigi gave a mock bow at his brother, who smiled.

"Trust me, you'll like these jobs," Amber said with a smile. It was another thing she got from her father; a madman's smile. "They're right up you're respective alleys."

*************

Shilo awoke the next morning to find Graverobber gone - again. She got up and looked around. It was the first time she'd gotten a good look at the place. It was just one room, not very big. The walls were dirty, the paint peeling. The floor was once carpet, but was now mostly-bare cement, covered in rags. There were a few posters on the walls. One was the typical GeneCo edict: Graverobbers will be executed on sight. Another had a picture of the Graverobber on it, with a caption saying, "Wanted: For Grave Robbing, Zydrate Peddling". Shilo had to laugh at that.

Casting her eyes around, she saw an old, brown leather satchel. It was almost identical to the one her father had, the one he'd kept all his doctor's tool in. Her fingers were itching to look through it, find out more about this elusive man. He'd told her repeatedly not to touch anything. Then again, when did *he* ever follow rules? Shilo looked around, then knelt down in front of it. The clasp was tarnished silver, in the shape two wolves' heads intertwining. She undid the latch, wincing at the loud *click* it made. Shilo bent close and peered inside.

She got a glimpse of something shiny and metallic before a knock at the door made her jump so much that she landed on her back. She lay there for a moment, hoping her quick breathing wasn't giving her away. "Jack?" came a slurred female voice from behind the door. "Graverobber, you in there?"

Shilo stood, cautiously, desperate not to make a sound. If this woman didn't hear anything, maybe she'd go away. "C'mon, Jackie boy, come out an' have some fun." The woman laughed, and Shilo wrinkled her nose. She was drunk, and probably hyped up on Zydrate. There was a few seconds of silence, then the woman spoke again, this time angrily. "Now, Goddamnit, Jack, here I am, all ready for ya, and you ain't even sayin' nothin'? C'mon, Graverobber, lemme in." A few more second of quiet. Then, "You asked for it." The door handle began rattling.

Shilo swooped down, her heart pounding, and closed the latch of the satchel just as the door slid open. Shilo turned and saw a woman standing in the doorway. She was in her late twenties, her black hair messy and unwashed. Her clothes were just like any other scalpel slut's, if a bit shabbier. She had a bottle of gin in her hand, and a very angry expression on her face. "Who th'hell're you?" she demanded.

"Um," Shilo began, her voice shaking. "I'm just… I'm just a friend of the Graverobber's."

The woman snorted. "'Friend'? Honey, *I'm* Graverobber's…*friend*. Look at you, you're still kid!" The woman sauntered into the room, a hand on her hip. "Look, honey, I know our Jackie boy's a hot piece of man, but I doubt you could do anything for him that I haven't already done." The woman smiled, casting her glassy eyes around the room. "How did you get in here, anyway?"

"Um…" Shilo was afraid to answer.

"Come on, kid, tell me. It may be a useful trick for when he locks me out."

Shilo winced and replied, "Well, he let me in. Last night."

The woman's face snapped in a drunken glare. "You been here since last night?"

Shilo nodded. "Yeah, I slept on the bed, and…" She realized immediately that this was the *wrong* thing to say.

Without warning, the woman's palm caught the left side of her face with a resounding *crack!*. Shilo's head snapped to the side and she fell. She looked up at the woman in fear, holding her cheek. Shilo felt blood well up on her bottom lip; the force of slap had made her bite down. "You little slut," the woman snarled. "I'll beat your pretty little face in! Think he'll want you if I turn you're skin purple?" The woman kicked Shilo in the ribs, knocking the breath from her.. Shilo groaned as sharp pain flared across her abdomen.

"Stop," Shilo whispered hoarsely, "please I - " Another kick to the ribs silenced her.

"Shut up, SHUT UP, you whore, or I swear to God, I'll - " The woman's voice cut off for a moment. Then, "Lemme go!"

Shilo looked up. Graverobber was standing over her. He had the woman by the hair. "You alright, kid?" he asked seriously. Shilo nodded. Graverobber wrenched the woman towards the door. "I kicked you out six months ago, Sherry, what the fuck are you doing back here? Beating my friends?"

"Your friends!?!" the woman shrieked. "More like the skinny little bitch that replaced me! I didn't know you liked kids so much, Jack!"

Shilo watched as Graverobber tossed the woman onto the staircase outside the room. "Leave," he said simply. "Now." His voice was dark and commanding that Shilo wasn't surprised to see the woman scramble down the stairs on her hands and knees just to get away from him.

Pain throbbed through Shilo as Graverobber crouched down beside her. "Can you stand up?" he asked. She'd never seen him so serious.

She nodded, then, bracing her hands on the floor, pushed her self up until she was on all fours. Then, she slowly stood… and fell forward. Graverobber caught her, and for the first time, he smirked. "We keep meeting like this," he said as he held her up. She looked up at him, trying and failing to look annoyed at his bad humor.

"Sorry I'm such a hand-full," she said, lowering her eyes. Graverobber didn't say anything; that surprised her. She'd expected him to make some snarky comment. She looked back up at him. His dark blue eyes were focused on her bleeding bottom lip. She felt his hand slide up her back, sending shivers down her spine. His icy hand came to rest on her neck, and it was so large it almost encircled her neck entirely. His thumb slid up her throat, raising her chin.

The look in his eyes something she'd only seen on TV, on those silly soap-operas her father used to tell her would rot her brain. It was the look the men got before they swept the women up in a face-crushing kiss. Was that was he was going to do? Was he going to kiss her? Shilo was instantly thrilled and terrified. She'd never kissed a man before; hell, she'd never even been *touched* by one before. The feeling of his hands on her was so new it almost hurt, and for some reason his hands weren't cold now, they were hot, burning.

Graverobber lowered his head over Shilo's tilted-up face, and she could swear her heart stopped. What did she do? If he kissed her, did she kiss him back? She didn't know how! Out of the corner of her eye, she saw his mouth open, and she felt herself beginning to shake. And then, he did something altogether unexpected.

He didn't kiss her.

Instead, his tongue slid slowly over her bottom lip, sending white heat through all Shilo's nerve-endings. It took her a moment to realize what he was doing. He was licking the blood off her lip.

Graverobber pulled back slightly. Shilo was still shaking form the experience; she couldn't tell whether she'd liked it or not. Her eyes focused on his mouth. There was a small drop of blood on his bottom lip. *Her* blood. She instinctively reached up to wipe it away. Her fingers touched his lips, and they parted. Her fingertips brushed feather-light across his tongue and she gasped, pulling her hand away. She looked up into Graverobber's eyes. They looked almost black now. And there was something in them, something that sent ripples of fear and excitement through Shilo's body. His look was… predatory.

Graverobber leaned down once more, and Shilo braced herself, knowing that *this* time he would kiss her, and having no idea how she felt about it. She'd never been so unsure of anything, and that was saying something. She felt the barest brush of his lips on hers when a loud voice made her jump so much she thought she may pass out again.

"Hey, Jack, did you - oh." A young man was standing at the open door, a look of surprise and embarrassment on his face. "Sorry, man, I - "

Graverobber kept his grip on Shilo's waist, even as Shilo tried to pull away, her face red. "What is it, Jaren?"

"Um…" the boy was hesitant. He obviously felt bad for interrupting them. "I was just gonna… did you hear what they're doing?"

"What?" he asked. Shilo tried to use this opportunity to move away from Graverobber, but he just pulled her closer.

"Amber Sweet's ordered all Repo Men off the street. She's recalling all the Gene Cops, too."

Shilo saw Graverobber frown. "I don't get it," she said quietly. "Isn't that good news?"

He looked down at her. "Probably not," he replied. "I should go. I'll be back later. Don't - "

Shilo sighed sharply. "I know, I know, 'don't touch anything'. Honestly, you'd think you lived in Largo Manor."

Graverobber gave her one of his arrogant smirks. "Trust me, what's in this room is more important and valuable than anything the Largo's could have." He released her then and followed Jaren out of the room.

Shilo lowered herself onto the bed, trying to take stock of her situation. She didn't really understand what had just transpired; all she knew was that she was in over her head. Graverobber had left her confused and shaking, her heart pounding, her stomach tied in knots, and curious sensations somewhere decidedly lower, places she'd barely known existed.

Shilo drew her knees up to her chest, folded her arms and laid her head down. Her cheek and side still hurt from that stupid scalpel slut, but the throb was fading. It was nothing compared to the scalding that Graverobber's tongue had left on her lip.

She knew she should just leave. She should just get up and walk out, walk all the way home where no one knew how to find her.

It seemed so simple, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Because, confused as she was, scared as she was, that big old manor didn't feel like home anymore. This filthy little room felt like home.

Graverobber felt like home.


	3. Chapter 3

Luigi and Pavi Largo sat on a rooftop, dangling their feet over the edge. Luigi was eating a large sub sandwich; Pavi was staring in his hand mirror at his new face, which was really just Amber's old one. "Look, here he comes!" Luigi hissed, nudging his brother in the ribs. Pavi lowered his mirror and the two of them watched as the Graverobber exited the old hospital. He was following a blonde young man towards a group of street punks and scalpel sluts.

"What is-a he doing?" Pavi asked.

Luigi shrugged. "Probably talking about the Repo Men. I mean, that's what Amber wanted, right?" His cheerful words were met with silence. He turned to Pavi, who was staring into his lap. "Right, Pavi?" Luigi prompted.

Still looking down, Pavi said in a low voice, "I do not-a like-a dis, brother."

Luigi frowned. "Why not? We done this sort of thing before."

"I know it. But she is-a so young; she is still blooming. This will not-a be fun." Pavi looked up at his brother, his eyes deadly serious. "This will just-a be cruel."

*************

Shilo sat on the bed for several minutes, pondering her situation and wondering what the hell she was supposed to do. She was completely out of her depth with Graverobber. She'd never had a crush on anyone before, never known anyone to have a crush *on*. And what was a "crush" anyway? Was it that fluttery feeling in her stomach every time she thought of him? Was it that odd tingling she felt every time he touched her? Or that warm feeling low in her abdomen when it had looked like he was going to kiss her?

Shilo knew what sex was; she wasn't naïve. But she'd never really given it much thought. She'd honestly never thought she'd leave her room, so it had never occurred to her that she may be in a situation where a man would be attracted to her, where the subject of sex might come up.

But wait, *was* he attracted to her? For all she knew, he could just really like the taste of blood. God, she was so lost. She -

Shilo stood up as she heard footsteps on the stair. Was it Graverobber? Her face throbbed slightly as she remembered the last person who'd taken her by surprise. Shilo cast around desperately for something to defend herself with. There wasn't much around. Some old coffee cups from GeneCoffee, some fast food wrappers, and - there! An old chair leg, nice and solid. She picked it up. It was plenty heavy. Shilo leaned against the wall by the door, club held at the ready. The door slid open, revealing two men, both of whom she'd seen at the Opera. As they stepped in, not noticing her, she realized they were Rotti two sons. She didn't remember their names, but that didn't matter; she knew they shouldn't be there. With a deep breath, Shilo took a swing at the head of the closer one, the one with the frozen face.

Her swing connected with the man's shoulder. Unfortunately, as he went down, the other man turned, brandishing a large knife. "Put it down, missy," the older man hissed, waving the blade, making the light dance off it.

Shilo dropped the chair leg. "What do you want?" she demanded.

"Ow," the younger man groaned. He stood, rubbing his shoulder, and Shilo gasped. He was wearing Amber Sweet's old face! "What-a was that for?" he asked in a high pitched voice.

"Get out," Shilo said, trying to sound firm. "You shouldn't be here."

"Pavi, bar the door," the older man ordered.

Pavi turned. Shilo tried to run, but the older man caught her by the arm and twisted painfully. She watched as Pavi slid the door shut and, using the chair leg she'd attacked him with, barred it.

The older man pulled Shilo close. Shilo struggled against him. He reeked of garlic and sweat. "Hey there, pretty," he hissed in her ear. "we got a message for that Graverobber of yours."

"Well, I can deliver it, if you want," Shilo said breathlessly, hoping they'd just let her go.

The man laughed. "Fortunately, little girl, you *are* the message." He took her by the throat, squeezing until she gasped. She fought, clawing at his arm. He just laughed and dragged her over towards the bed. "Pavi," he called over his shoulder, "give me the lipstick."

"Luigi, I - "Pavi began.

"NOW!!" Luigi yelled. He forced Shilo down onto her back. She tried to kick him, but he pressed his knees down on her thighs, holding her still. Shilo tried to scream, but she couldn't get enough air. Her vision began to dim but she fought, not wanting to pass out, not wanting to make whatever they were planning easier. Pavi handed his brother a silver tube, and Luigi opened it, revealing bright red lipstick. "Hold still!" he said brightly.

Shilo tried to struggle, but his hand on her throat kept her still. He pressed the lipstick to her mouth, smearing it across her lips. "There!" he said. "You'll leave behind a beautiful corpse for our dear Graverobber."

CORPSE?!?!?!? Shilo's mind screamed, and she fought harder, grabbing at his hand on her neck, trying to reach up and claw his eyes. "Oh, this one's feisty!" Luigi declared, dodging her hands. "I love feisty!"

He dropped the lipstick on the bed, his hand then moving to Shilo's left breast. He squeezed, hard, and Shilo screamed, and renewed her escape efforts. Whatever he was planning, she was NOT going to make it easy, or even enjoyable. "Come on, Pavi, come have some fun," the man called over his shoulder.

"No, my brother," Pavi replied. "This is not sporting. This is not fun."

Luigi shrugged. "More for me." He turned back and gave Shilo a toothy grin. "Come on, babe, don't look so down," he said as tears filled Shilo's eyes. "I don't do this with just any girl. You're special, really!" He laughed again, and Shilo started to cry. She thought she knew what was about to happen, and the sheer horror of it made her mind go blank. She tried to detach herself from what was happening, tried to prepare for death. But how does one prepare to die? She was going to die alone, and unloved.

But she'd see her parents again.

Shilo was so far into her mind that it took her a moment to realize that Luigi was no longer there. He was standing, and fighting with someone. It was - dear God, it was Graverobber. She watched, as if in slow motion, as Graverobber's hand came down at Luigi's chest. There was something silver flashing there, but she couldn't make it out. Graverobber's hand connected, the withdrew, and Luigi fell to the floor, a dark stain quickly spreading across his chest. Graverobber turned, and time seemed to return to normal.

Shilo sat up, gasping for breath. "Are you okay, kid?" Graverobber asked.

Shilo nodded. "The other guy?" she asked, her voice hoarse.

"He bolted when I came in. He wasn't important anyway. Can you walk?"

Shilo nodded. "Abso-fucking-lutely," she said. "Let's get the hell out of here."

Graverobber nodded once, then lifted her to her feet. "Come on, we have to get away from here right fucking now. Someone is gonna come looking for this bastard, and we can't be here when they do."

Shilo nodded. "We could go back to my house."

Graverobber picked up his brown satchel and said, "Let's go."

*************

Amber Sweet paced her father's office, fuming. Pavi sat in a chair in front of the desk, crying silently. "That son of a bitch," she hissed. "He couldn't just leave well enough alone." She stopped and turned to Pavi. "What is it about this little cunt?" she demanded. "First Dad and now my Graverobber - hell, even you!"

"She was-a too young!" Pavi burst out. Amber froze. Her brother had never yelled at her before. He'd never yelled at *anyone* before. "I told you this was-a foolish, Amber! You are just-a like our Papa, always scheming for-a revenge instead of just-a moving on! And look-a where that got him! He's-a dead! Dead, and in-a the end, he had nothing! And you will end up just-a like him, sister! You wanted to-a punish this girl for taking your Graverobber, but-a why is that her fault?" Pavi stood, fists clenched. "Maybe he just-a doesn't like scalpel sluts!"

Amber's bottom lip trembled. Pavi thought she might cry. He'd never made anybody cry before. It was a powerful feeling. "I am-a going home, dear sister," Pavi said. "You call me when there is-a real work to be done."


	4. Chapter 4

Shilo stood at the front door to her home, hesitating. The house was empty, and the idea made her stomach churn. The idea of walking into those dark, haunted halls, completely alone for the first time in her life…

A hand on her shoulder reminded Shilo that she *wasn't* alone. Graverobber was there, at her side. "Something wrong, kid?" he asked.

Shilo shook her head. "No, I'm fine."

"Liar." Graverobber released her and moved forward. He tried the door handle. It was locked. "You got a key?" he asked, turning back to her.

"No," Shilo said, and felt immediately ashamed for it. What kind of person didn't have a key to their own house?

"Not a problem." Graverobber turned back to the door and knelt down. Pulling a bobby pin and a screwdriver out of his coat, he proceeded to pick the lock. It took him less than ten seconds. The door swung open and Graverobber waved his hand. "Viola," he said.

Shilo stepped in, shaking slightly and trying to ignore it. Her house had always been quiet, but now it was more than that. She heard the door shut behind her, and silence became deafening. It was like when the ash rain fell from the sky, coating everything in a fine grey powder. It muted all sounds from the outside, as if the house were adrift, lost and alone. It was like the outside didn't exist anymore. Shilo wasn't sure she could stand it.

"Nice place," Graverobber remarked, startling her out of her brooding. "I guess Repo men earn plenty of dough; hazard pay and all that."

"I guess," Shilo mumbled. She'd never actually thought about finances before. She'd never had to. Shilo suddenly realized how completely and utterly sheltered she'd been all those years. Her little glimpses of the outside world had done nothing to prepare her for real life. What was she going to do? Get a job? How? She had no skills. No education beyond basic math, science, reading, and history. Her father had been her teacher most of her life, but by fourteen, the lessons started to come less and less frequently, until eventually, she wasn't learning anything at all. It occurred to her now that her father had stopped teaching her to keep her ignorant of the outside world; to keep her dependant on him.

Without a word to Graverobber, Shilo took off running up the stairs. All she wanted in that moment was to throw herself into her bed, huddle under the covers, and sleep until the world went away. She vaguely heard Graverobber calling after her, but she ignored it. Shilo burst into her room, the door slamming into the wall. She walked to the bed… but couldn't bring herself to get in. Shilo spent seventeen years in that bed, and quite suddenly, she didn't want it anymore. She went into the bathroom instead, and turned on the light. She went to sink and stared in the mirror.

Dear God, she was still wearing that whorish red lipstick Luigi Largo had slathered on her lips. The color was so bright that it was vulgar, and it had smeared over lips, making her look sloppy and drunk, like that woman Sherry.

It was then that full enormity of what had almost happened hit her. A wave of nausea swept over Shilo. She stumbled to the toilet, retching, crying, her body shaking. She wiped her mouth with an unsteady hand and flushed the toilet. She crawled back to the sink, pulling herself up by the ledge. The first thing she saw in the mirror was that slash of red, mocking her. She turned on the tap and wet her hands. She scrubbed at her lips, trying to rid herself of it, not just the lipstick, but the whole event.

The water turned scalding hot, but Shilo didn't notice. She washed her mouth, ridding herself of the taste of bile. The lipstick was gone, but the feeling of being stained remained. Shilo broke down in fresh sobs, sinking to the cold floor. She held onto the sink as if she were drowning, and the cold porcelain was a life preserver.

The world swan before her eyes, and this time, Shilo welcomed it. She wanted nothing more than to sink into grey nothingness, into that place where nothing mattered. She felt herself being wrapped in something warm, then being lifted by strong arms. Then, her head resting against something warm and solid, her eyes slid closed, and she knew no more.

*************

Pavi lay on his bed in his room at GeneCo tower. There was a Gentern lying next to him, completely nude, curled up at his side like a cat. She was one of his favorites. Her name was Gwen. She was curvy and lovely, with long, shining dark hair. Just like his mother. So like his mother.

Pavi wrapped an arm around Gwen, pulling her close. She smiled in her sleep and settled closer to him. The heat of her golden skin was comforting. There was much on Pavi's mind, much that he'd never thought before. Pavi had never found himself in a position where he felt his morals were being compromised. Hell, Pavi didn't even know he *had* morals. But there he was, lying in bed with a beautiful naked woman, and all he could think about was the startling change that had over-taken his sister.

Amber had always been a vapid little whore, who was loving in her own way, who could be a good person when the need arose, who was fun to have around and always made those around her look good. But this new Amber… this he'd never seen before. Amber had always had a jealous streak in her. Pavi remembered her constantly needing new dolls as a girl. In fact, every time Pavi brought a new girl home, Amber wanted a doll that looked just like the new girl. Pavi had always thought it was simply a side-effect of never having a real mother. Their own mother had died shortly after Amber's birth, and Marni hadn't been around long enough to be of any real help.

Pavi wondered if Amber knew how their mother died. He doubted it. He only knew because he saw it. The last time he'd mentioned it to Luigi, his brother had said that their mother died of the flu.

How silly. When a woman shows up in the coroner's office with six-inch slits down her wrists, who in their right mind said, "Oh, it's the flu,"? But again, Pavi only knew because he saw it. He assumed his father was too proud to tell Amber and Luigi what had really happened. What man admits that his wife was so unhappy that she took her own life?

"You have a message from Amber Sweet," came a mechanical voice from the bedside table. Pavi reached over Gwen, picking up his cell-watch. Pressing the button, a projection of Amber popped up, and he heard her say, "Come down to my office NOW, Pavi. We need to talk."

Pavi sighed. He slipped the cell on his wrist, then turned and extracted his arm from under Gwen. She rolled over and continued to sleep.

As he dressed Pavi felt a sense of dread. Considering her earlier actions, what new horrors would this meeting bring?

*************

Shilo stirred. She lay in her own bed, covered in Graverobber's coat. She had a hold of Graverobber's arm, was practically wrapped around it, holding on like it was a teddy bear. His hand was resting on her thigh, between her legs. Well, *that* was new. He was sound asleep beside her, his other hand resting lightly on his chest. He looked much younger when he was asleep.

The feeling of Graverobber's hand on her leg was warming Shilo in some…*interesting* places. It was making her nervous, so she tried to shift away. His hand clenched and held her in place.

Crap.

Shilo took a deep breath to steady her jumping nerves. Now what? He obviously wasn't going to let her go. She thought she should just go back to sleep, but she'd never felt less like sleeping in her life. Shilo tried to figure out what she wanted to do.

Well, that was easy. She wanted to kiss him.

Never mind that she didn't know how. And that he was asleep and wouldn't kiss her back. And that he was at least ten years old than her. And that she was still technically a minor, at least for the next eight months.

Shilo experimentally slid a hand up Graverobber's arm and onto his chest. He didn't even stir. She let her hand wander to his collar bone, where his shirt was open. She ran her fingers over his skin. It was warmer than she expected. She'd always thought he'd feel like a corpse, but he was very much alive. Shilo slid her hand up his neck, tracing his jaw line.

Graverobber's eyes snapped open, and he caught her by the wrist. Shilo gasped and tried to jerk away, but his grip was too strong. He turned and looked at her. "Getting curious, kid?"

Shilo wasn't sure how to answer, especially after what he'd said earlier about curiosity. So, she decided to annoy him, and hope he'd forget all about it. "What's your name?" she asked. "It's not 'Jack', is it?"

His reaction wasn't what she'd expected. Graverobber rolled over, pinning her beneath him. "What the hell?!?!" she exclaimed, struggling. He held her down easily, and for a moment, Shilo flashed back to the other bed, and what had almost happened there. But she didn't get scared. Because she trusted Graverobber. Despite everything, she trusted him. But still, she struggled. She couldn't help it. Being trapped under him like that was making her think some incredibly unladylike thoughts, and it was making her uncomfortable.

Graverobber lowered his head, his lips brushing her ear, and said in a husky voice, "I'm willing to tell you my name… but only if I know I'll hear you say it… over and over again."

"Wha - ?" Shilo began breathlessly. She was completely confused, though some baser, more instinctive part of her knew exactly what was happening.

Graverobber raised his head again. He was smiling slightly, and it was an incredibly dark, incredibly *male* smile. God how that smile affected her. Shilo wasn't sure she could survive. Graverobber's hand was behind her neck now, and he was leaning over her, and his lips were hovering above hers. She trembled as she felt his breath on her lips, felt his lips move as he said quietly, "My name… is Jonas."

Shilo opened her mouth to respond, but instead felt his close over it. It took her several breathless moments to realize she was *kissing* the Graverobber… Jonas. Jonas, God, what a normal name. His tongue slid over hers and she was wrenched from her thoughts. Feeling immediately inadequate for simply laying there, Shilo wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. She decided to try something she'd seen on TV many times before. She took his bottom lip between hers and sucked on it.

Graverobber moaned slightly. Shilo was irrationally proud of herself for a moment.

And then, her mind stopped working. Because Graverobber's hand had slid up her thigh, and under her skirt. She felt his hands undoing his pants, and part of her panicked, like a bird caught in an hourglass. But her own hands, without her realizing, slipped under her skirt and pulled her own underwear down. She saw vague surprise in Graverobber's eyes, which were almost black with what she assumed was lust.

She could feel him now, his arousal, hot and hard against her thigh. And in that moment, she wanted nothing more than for him to be inside her, for him to take her and make her something else, something new.

Graverobber wrapped his arms around her again, and met her eyes. He didn't speak but he seemed to be asking something. Asking for permission. Ina sudden flash of daring, Shilo smiled and said, "What are you waiting for, Jonas?"

Biggest.

Mistake.

Ever.

Because when his hips rolled, and he thrust inside her, she realized she was *not* ready for it, and that all her knowledge of sex gleaned from TV and romance novels has left out one very important thing:

IT.

FUCKING.

HURT.

She didn't know anything about…*size*, but she felt impaled. Tears sprang to her eyes and she bit her lip against the pain. She realized that Graverobber had stopped moving and was watching her, looking concerned. And for some reason, Graverobber looking concerned was just… hilarious.

Shilo laughed.

And suddenly, he just looked annoyed. "What are you laughing at?"

Shilo shook her head. "I have never seen you look concerned for the well-being of another person. It was funny."

Graverobber thrust again, effectively silencing Shilo. He smiled in a very wolfish way. Gripping her by the hair, he kissed her again, and then all thoughts were gone. His hips were moving at a fairly quick rhythm, and it was all Shilo could do to just keep up. It didn't help that he seemed to be hitting this odd spot inside her, that every time it was struck caused white heat to build in her. Shilo dug her nails into his back, holding on for dear life, not knowing what was going to happen, but completely willing to see it through. She felt her hips moving in unison with his, instinctively working with more experience than she actually had.

Shilo began to shake as that heat filling her escalated. Graverobber's breath was coming quicker now, and he lost some of his clever rhythm. Her legs wrapped themselves around his hips, meeting his thrusts, sending him deeper inside her, and sending her closer to a white hot edge.

Graverobber bit into her shoulder, and the pain sent waves of pleasure through her, sent her spiraling over that edge. Her body convulsed around him, and she cried out the only thing she could think of. "Jonas!"

Jonas cried out above her, his back arching, as he spilled inside her, scalding hot. Shilo wondered distantly if that was an orgasm, and if so, when exactly she could do it again. Graverobber collapsed onto her, his face buried in her neck.

Shilo felt all the energy drain from her body. Her eyes slid closed and a moment later she fell asleep, Graverobber still inside her.

*************


End file.
